


Giving Thanks

by ladyfeather



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Break Up, M/M, Major Character Injury, Yamane Ayano
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 14:35:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1944846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyfeather/pseuds/ladyfeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written from a prompt for a Viewfinder/Yoh Thanksgiving fic.<br/>After a serious fight with Feilong, Yoh accepts an assignment from Asami only to become injured and stranded far from home. He contemplates his life and what he is thankful for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Giving Thanks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PrincessofTor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessofTor/gifts).



> Yoh, Liu Fei Long, and Asami Ryuichi are all the property of Yamane Ayano. She graciously allows us to play with them.

The Baishe men could feel the tension in the air as he strode toward his study, his irritation radiating a warning to all he passed to not try to stop or appease him right now. Slamming into the study he dropped into his desk chair, clearing his desk of everything in reach of his arm. Too agitated to remain seated, he quickly stood and moved toward the window, hoping that the sight of the garden would help calm him. It didn't.  
He hadn't noticed that Tao had peeked into the room to see if there was anything that he could help. But Tao knew his uncle well and decided that he would wait until later to bring him his favorite tea and his pipe, and perhaps offer to groom his hair. That always seemed to soothe him a bit, and this time his irritation seemed to be at a new high.  
Fei did hear when Yoh entered the room since he not so quietly closed the door, and although he tried to overlook that fact, the man would not be ignored. A large part of his anger was due to Yoh's inadequacy.  
Yoh stood just inside the door, hands clasped behind his back. After waiting for several minutes for some sort of recognition from Fei he finally asked, "What has set you off this time? I haven't seen you this angry for quite a while."  
Fei turned and viciously lashed out verbally at Yoh. "You should know, you're supposedly in charge of the policing of my territories. A lower than low clan of misfits has been terrorizing the merchants in one of my neighborhoods. What have you done about it? Nothing! I was rudely accosted by a group of the harassed shop owners and grilled as to why I haven't put these ruffians in their place. They cornered me; even pushed aside the bodyguards to confront me! They pay to have me protect them and they feel that I am neglecting them."  
Fei was furious. "I didn't accept you back to have you just warm my bed. I expect you to take care of things like this so I don't get caught in the middle; I shouldn't have to be put in a situation like this, EVER."  
Fei stormed over to stand mere inches in front of Yoh. "I want this remedied by tomorrow morning, do you understand? If you cannot handle this by then you can leave here and never come back! I don't need any more incompetent lackeys; I have enough already."  
Yoh flinched at the last comment. "Fei-sama, I have been working on this for some time. They are scattered, they don't have a central area from where they are located. I cannot seem to be able to pinpoint...."  
Fei's temper was hitting a new high, as well as the volume of his voice. He was very close to screaming right now. "I don't want excuses, I want them gone, do you understand? Or are you no longer competent to deal with such riff-raff? Have I allowed you to wallow in comfort for too long? Has Tao lulled you into a role as a servant, only good for baby-sitting? Get out of here! Now!"  
And much to Yoh's surprise, Fei hit him with his fist, hard, in the face. "Go find some other place to bask in the good life."  
Trembling to hold his emotions under control, Yoh bowed and replied, "Yes, Liu Fei Long, I'll leave immediately." He then turned and left the room, closing the door silently.  
But as he closed the door he leaned against it, trying to quell the heartache he now felt. He could hear Fei moving in the room, clearing things off shelves and throwing items as he headed toward his personal quarters. His only viable course of action to Fei's outburst was to leave the compound; to remove himself from any physical contact with the irate dragon until the matter was settled.  
The group causing the trouble was very loosely organized, making it hard to track down the person or persons responsible for the group's actions. He had been so close several times only to have them move locations on him. He had managed to get an informant in the group, but he wasn't trusted enough yet to obtain the necessary information.  
There was no need to try to explain this to Fei - he wouldn't listen to him anyway. It would be best for him to continue the investigation from a distance for now. Fei was angry and wouldn't listen to anything he said other than that the result he wanted was achieved. When he was aggravated Fei had little patience with anything, even Tao knew to keep a low profile in situations like this. Somehow only Tao seemed to consistently avoid being the target of his temper tantrums.  
Heading for his room he mentally mapped out his strategy on how to handle this situation. First, he had to deal with the bodyguards that had allowed strangers to touch Fei Long: that was unacceptable for any reason. Then he would have to find new people he could trust to take their places. He could do this through his second in command. Right now he had to get as far away from Fei as he possibly could, without letting him know where he had gone.  
As to the rogue clan he would have to orchestrate this through his second in command. He had a good grip on the situation and could easily handle his orders over the phone. He knew that it would take about another week to settle this situation and if Fei managed to see him during that time he could not guess what his reaction would be; it would be safer to be somewhere else until the crisis is taken care of completely. Fei was more than difficult to deal with when his temper controlled his actions.  
He would have to give Asami a call and see if he had anything for him to do that he could use as a distraction for a week or so.  
~~~~  
They met in Asami's office at Sion several days later. Yoh had promising results coming from his second in command; the mole was beginning to send back the information needed. Knowing that, Yoh felt better about leaving the area for a while.  
Asami glanced at Yoh with a smirk on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. "Evidently things aren't going well at home?", referring to the bruise on Yoh's face. Asami walked to the bar and mixed each of them a drink.  
"Let's just say the Dragon can still throw a mean right and leave it at that." Yoh glared back at Asami, almost daring him to take the conversation further as he sat in the armchair by Asami's desk. He took the offered drink, thanking Asami.  
"I see. Well you did come for a distraction for a few days, and I think I have just the thing for you. I need someone to deliver certain documents to a 'partner' in Singapore. You are fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin due to your Baishe dealings, so you will fit in perfectly. You have good diplomatic skills, and you are very capable of handling any interruptions that may occur while completing the mission." As he seated himself at his desk Asami looked toward Yoh for any signs of disagreement. There were none.  
"What are the chances that there will be 'interruptions'?"  
Asami smirked. "Low, but whenever I am involved the percentages seem to be a bit higher than normal. Does that bother you?"  
"I've been around you for too many years to allow something like that to affect me." Yoh smiled. "Have the travel arrangements been made yet?"  
Handing a folder to Yoh Asami replied, "Everything you need is in here. The plane leaves tomorrow at 6AM, and the meeting is scheduled for the next day. You will be dining with him in his hotel room, so there will be less chance of any interference from outside parties."  
Yoh nodded in agreement. "Then the most care will need to be taken before I meet with him. I take it that he has his own security in place around him? Even so I will stay especially alert for anyone following me around the hotel." Yoh rose, nodding toward Asami. "Thanks for the help. I'll let you know how it went once the handoff has been made." As he approached the door he turned with a wicked smile, "But if there ARE interruptions, there will be a fee charged. Alibis aren't cheap, you know, especially when one is in a foreign setting." With a chuckle he left the office.  
Asami was also in good humor; he knew there would be no problems in the delivery of the paperwork since the best man for the job had suddenly become available.  
~~~~  
Yoh had travelled lightly; just a few days' worth of clothing, some toiletries, and a novel he had been looking forward to reading when he had time. Somehow Asami had known that Yoh needed some time away from Baishe and its 'currently in a very violent mood' leader and had allowed a few days between arrival and departure dates. Yoh noticed this right away and felt that this gave him not only the time for the Baishe situation to be taken care of but the opportunity to spend some private time to himself, and was going to use it to the fullest. It would also take his mind off the troublesome lover he left behind. Hopefully he would allow him back; he didn't want to think otherwise.  
The exchange took place without a hitch and the recipient had treated Yoh to an excellent meal. Now he had time to himself and he decided to tour some parts of the city that he hadn't seen for a while. The smaller islands off of Singapore were very popular fishing spots, and many offshore places were still being constructed for public use. He wanted a more secluded, out-of-the-way area, where he could find some solitude. He spotted the ferry notice to St. John's Island, a popular recreational area that had lots of greenery and hills to wander through in addition to some nice fishing areas. There were many places one could go hiking or find a quiet spot under some trees to read. And if the mood was right, one could take a leisurely nap in the dappled sunshine under the trees. You just had to watch the time; if you missed the last ferry you were stranded until the next day.  
The day had been almost perfect. He had managed to actually make great progress in his book, and the news from his second in command pointed to the problem being solved with the next day or so. They had rounded up most of the thugs; they only had to find the one ringleader to put a cap on the whole mess.  
Walking back to his hotel he spotted a new casino. He had decent luck at the tables and decided to try his hand after dinner. Even with all the casinos in Hong Kong, he rarely got to play; he was always there in a professional mode - the protector of the Baishe leader.  
He had dined in the hotel restaurant on some of the finest seafood available. Asami had spared no expense on the arrangements for the trip. The casino he wanted to check out was within walking distance, and the weather was a bit cooler than normal, so he decided to walk. It was only a few blocks away, and it was on a well-lit main thoroughfare.  
~~~~  
He could hear murmuring in the background, and his name being mentioned, but he couldn't make out what they were discussing. His body was a solid ache, as intense as on the casino ship. His eyes didn't want to open, and his throat was so dry he didn't think any amount of liquid could ease the soreness. A strong medicinal scent assaulted his nose, and he felt drugged. He finally managed to get his eyes open a bit, only to quickly close them due to the strong light.  
"Ah, good, you're awake. Let me turn down the lights for you. We're done with the examinations for now."  
The pieces were starting to merge and make sense. The speaker was a doctor. He was in a hospital. What had happened? He was on his way to the new casino, and….  
And what? He didn't remember, but by the pain it must have been something spectacular. He tried sitting up but his body wouldn't comply. The pain was overwhelming; it felt like he had a few broken ribs and his right leg throbbed violently. A painful gasp escaped his parched throat.  
"I wouldn't recommend that for a while. You have some serious injuries that should be allowed to heal for a while before resuming any activity."  
Yoh was terribly confused. In a raspy voice he asked, "What happened? I was on the way to the casino, but I don't remember anything after that."  
"No wonder. You were hit by a car and thrown about 10 meters, taking out a trash can on the way. There is no head trauma, but the rest of your body took quite a beating, especially the ribs and your right leg. Though from the looks of you, something like this has happened before? Your body has quite a few scars, and some look fairly recent."  
Yoh's instincts took over and the patented lie he used was the best solution at the time, otherwise they might get suspicious. "I do undercover work. It doesn't always work out peacefully. So how long am I in for?" His whole body was throbbing with various degrees of pain.  
"Well, Mr. …."  
"Yoh, just call me Yoh. It's easier to pronounce. Is my not being able to remember the accident something permanent?"  
All right, Yoh, we don't think the memory loss is permanent; you just hit the ground pretty hard from what the witnesses say. You have several cracked ribs, a broken leg, and some serious contusions and abrasions we need to keep an eye on. They might indicate internal bleeding, especially around the liver, but if all goes well we could release you in two or three days. You won't look too pretty for a while, and you won't win any races, but somehow you avoided any dangerous injury. You can be thankful for that." The doctor then finished writing his notes on the chart.  
"The police have arrested the driver of the car. It seems he was quite intoxicated… claims he didn't… then jumped the curb… hit the wall and…."  
Yoh was trying to listen to what the doctor was saying but whatever medication they had given him was taking control again. He wanted to know if there was a phone he could use but his eyes were closing of their own volition, and he felt his consciousness fading. Later they would have time to discuss things; right now his body was shutting down for repairs.  
~~~~  
Kirishima knocked before entering Asami's office. Asami looked up, wondering why Kei was bothering him this early in the day. From the look on his face it had to be important.  
"I just received a phone call from the hotel where Yoh is registered. It seems he's been hit by a drunken driver and is hospitalized. He has several cracked ribs, a broken leg, and is battered a bit, but otherwise is in no serious condition that they can ascertain at this point. I authorized an extension of his room registration and contacted the hospital – it seems your influence is in effect there too; they will forward to our doctor all the pertinent information. Is there anything else that you would like done?"  
Asami's brow furrowed. "Do they give an estimate of how long he will be hospitalized?"  
Kirishima pushed up his glasses. "From the current diagnosis and with no complications setting in, they estimate either two or three days. But it will take several weeks before he's moving at a more normal pace. The leg break will take even longer to heal."  
"Get a message to Yoh that his room reservation has been extended for as long as he needs, in fact ask the manager to personally handle it for me. I know he will be more than pleased to be doing me a favor. And let Yoh know that we will take care of handling his extended absence should Fei inquire where he is. But let him know that unless he tells us otherwise, we will only intercede if Fei asks first – that we understand the circumstances.  
~~~~  
Yoh had slept through most of the day, though sleep wasn't what he would call it. It was more a drug-induced bed-rest. He stayed awake long enough to manage a small meal in the middle of the afternoon, then once again succumbed to sleep.  
Upon awakening he finally felt alert enough to try to assess his surroundings. Although there was only one small nightlight on in the room it was enough to let him know that he was in a private room, he appreciated that fact. Room-mates tended to be nosy and troublesome. The blinds were drawn but you could tell that it was night, but how late he couldn't tell.  
Carefully moving his hand around the side of the bed he found the call button and pressed it. It took several minutes but finally a nurse came in.  
"Do you need help?" she asked as she checked the urine bag attached to the side of the bed.  
 _Great, a catheter. At least with all the medication I can't feel the damned thing._ "What time is it?"  
Glancing at her watch she replied, "2:53 AM"  
"Thanks. Can I have something to drink?"  
"I'll bring you a pitcher of ice water.  
"I'd rather have some sake, but I guess that's not on the menu." He started to laugh but quickly thought better of it when his ribs reminded him of their condition. The meds were good but the breaks were fresh. He glanced at her and she frowned at him. "Yeah, I know, not with the meds you have me taking. It was worth a try though." That brought the smile back to her face.  
She returned fifteen minutes later with the pitcher and some shrimp flavored snack crackers. "I thought that you might like something light to eat. The kitchen is closed until morning but this should hold you over until then."  
Now that she mentioned it, he was a bit hungry, possibly because of the meds. She helped him into a semi-sitting position and arranged things on the tray so he could reach them easily before leaving the room.  
The next thing he knew it was morning. The nurse must have returned since he was now lying prone in the bed and the table was moved back to the side of the bed.  
Being morning it was the typical hospital routine; techs, nurses, doctors, interns – a veritable parade of medical personnel ran through the room leaving little time to think. He heard movement in the doorway again and wondered what they forgot to do to him; he felt that every inch of his body had been maligned in some way. Expecting to see another white-coated person he was surprised when he saw the manager from his hotel waiting for him to acknowledge his presence.  
Carefully maneuvering the bed into a sitting position he called to him, "Mr. Zhang, please come in. What brings you here? How did you find out I was hospitalized?"  
The elderly gentleman approached the end of the bed and bowed. "The police notified me right after you were admitted here; I believe they found your room key in your belongings. How are you feeling? Will you be able to move around on your own when you are discharged? I was notified by Asami-sama to extend your reservation as needed, so you will be able to stay for as long as necessary to recuperate fully. We will assist you to the best of our ability during your stay."  
Yoh appreciated that Asami had made arrangements for his extended stay. He would have to contact him later and thank him. But first he would have to find his phone. He had it on him when he left for the casino.  
With the manager offering assistance Yoh decided to ask him to see if his phone was with his clothing; they were probably wrapped up in the closet.  
Mr. Zhang located the bundle, some of which was blood stained. He cautiously handed the bag to Yoh rather than look through the clothes himself.  
Yoh did find his phone and somehow, although it was badly scratched and a corner of the plastic casing was missing, it still seemed to work. The battery was quite low but it did register that there were messages from his second in command and from both Kirishima and Asami.  
Yoh looked toward the manager. "Would it be possible for you go to my room and gather a clean set of clothes for me and the charger for my phone? The charger is in the nightstand drawer. You could send it over with one of the other staff members rather than trouble yourself."  
Mr. Zhang looked insulted. "No, no. Asami-sama entrusted your care to me, and I feel it is a personal honor that he chose me and I will humbly oblige. I will return after dinner with your items if that is satisfactory with you."  
"Thank you; that will be fine. I'll see you later then. "Yoh smiled. He could see that the gentleman was ecstatic that Asami had chosen him to handle a special customer. He would make sure that he was rewarded well. With another bow and a broad grin Mr. Zhang left.  
He had just finished his lunch when the doctor arrived for an update on his condition. After the examination he deemed that Yoh needed at least another day due to the one abrasion that was still bleeding. He OK'd Yoh's trying to move around on his own, but also ordered that crutches had be used; the leg was not yet ready to take the stress of any prolonged body weight.  
Under the doctor's careful scrutiny Yoh managed to get himself from the bed and carefully totter to the doorway and back. He was breathing heavily from the exertion by the time he once again rested on the bed. "I think that's about all I have strength for today Doc. Maybe I'll do a bit further tomorrow."  
When Mr. Zhang returned with Yoh's belongings he had just woken from a short nap. He had him place the clothing in the dresser and to set up his phone charger on the side table. They chatted a bit then the manager excused himself stating that Yoh needed his rest. Yoh thanked him for his time and efforts before the man once again bowed and left.  
The phone had fully charged by midnight and since there was only an hour time difference (Japan being later) he decided that he should call Asami while he had the chance. At this time of night all the medical people were home sleeping, dreaming about what they would do to their captive 'victims' the next day. With the help of the wheelchair they left in the room he managed to move fairly unseen to an area where he could use his phone.  
He read the messages from his second in command and knew that the problem had been solved. He sent a congratulatory message and also let him know of the accident. He let him know that he would be available by phone should anything serious arise before he was able to return.  
After texting answers to Kirishima's questions he dialed Asami's number. Asami answered promptly and asked if he was being treated well. Yoh replied that the hotel manager was bending over backwards to make things as smooth as possible for him. He let him know that he'd be hospitalized at least another day before being released. When Asami asked him what he wanted Fei to know, he said to just let it be. It was no concern of his and when he recovered enough he would let him know what had happened.  
~~~~  
It was his first day out of the hospital and the manager had sent over several staff members to bring him back to the hotel. They helped set up the room so he could maneuver easily from one area to another without too much difficulty. They had even procured a wheelchair for his use.  
Right now Yoh sat on his bed in the hotel room, in the dark, staring out at the moonlit sea. It was after midnight, making it Thanksgiving Day if you went by the American holiday. This year it seemed he had a lot to be thankful for.  
How he escaped more serious and possible permanent injury was definitely one thing to be thankful for. Although he was in pretty poor shape at the moment he was normally healthy and in good physical shape. That alone may have contributed heavily to his miraculous lack of injury from the accident.  
Another was the group of close friends he had. His career choice was not known for any great camaraderie, but within the circles he worked there was a strictly upheld honor code. Asami had automatically come to his aid, even though he was no longer one of his men. And his current boss, Liu Feilong also held to that code. Good friends were to be cherished; he had learned that quite quickly in his life.  
Fei. He missed Fei, even though it was just a week. And Tao – both were like family to him. They were among the 'Special People' in his life. Even Asami and Takaba fit into that small, elite group. But Fei…well….  
Fei - the one light in his existence that meant more to him than his own life. Fei had finally given himself to him, showed him that beneath that abrasive exterior of the icy dragon there was a loving heart. He had someone to love, and someone loved him. There isn't much more you could ask for, to want to be thankful for. He hoped that when he returned Fei would have calmed down some and would allow him to get close again. He understood his anger but it still hurt that he lashed out like that. If he had known that incident would happen he would have gone along to prevent it.  
He glanced down at the glass of water in his hand, wishing it was something stronger. But with the list of medications they gave him any alcohol was out of the question for a while. He swallowed down the few pills he held in his hand and placed the glass on the nightstand before easing himself into the bed. The night was warm so all he wore was a pair of boxers; they were about the only thing he could maneuver over the leg cast anyway.  
The pains were starting to ease up and he should be able to return home in a few days. It was always better to recuperate at home rather than in a strange place, even if home didn't have all the amenities of a 5-star hotel with on-call staff.  
As Yoh drifted off to sleep he dreamed of past nights in the Baishe compound, specifically in the Fei's quarters. He could almost feel the man caressing his body, touching his face. The scent of incense permeating his clothing, the perfume of his hair, the scented oils he used in his bath - all seemed to be penetrating his senses.  
Slowly he opened his eyes to see the object of his dreams sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand caressing his cheek. He had a sad look in his eyes.  
He blinked several times before asking, "Am I still dreaming, or are you really here? And if so, why?"  
"You are a hard man to track down. It took some persuading to finally get Asami to give me any information, and he relished that fact that I was all but begging. It seems you told him not to contact me? Do you know how worried I was when I found out that you HAD left the compound?"  
Fei shifted uncomfortably. "It wasn't more than an hour when I came to my senses and realized what I had done to you, but you had already left. Your second in command said he knew nothing, just that you were going to keep in contact by phone. And yes, I know the situation has been taken care of completely. That's also how I found out that you were in an accident."  
His hand grabbed the sheet and pulled it away from Yoh's body. His eyes roamed over the battered body and the angry red blotches where massive areas of blood vessels were broken under the skin, his long fingers trailing over the bruises creeping out from under the rib bandages, bandages that hid the damage to the bones they carefully held in place.  
The fingers trailed down to the top of the leg cast which began mid-thigh. "If I hadn't gotten so angry you wouldn't be here, broken like this. This is all my fault, sending you away like that. Can you forgive me?"  
Yoh smiled at Fei. "There is nothing to forgive. I made an error and should have been with you that day. If anything, I am more to blame than you." He reached down and took Fei's hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "I'm sorry."  
Fei reversed the hold on his hand and leaned down and kissed Yoh on the lips with determination. "I'd do more but I believe I'd put you back in the hospital. We will have to wait for any further interaction." Fei then brought Yoh's palm to his lips and kissed it, folding Yoh's fingers over the kiss site. "Hold on to that until you are better."  
Yoh looked at Fei with surprise. "With pleasure."  
Fei stood up and headed for the dresser. "Are you ready to go home? My personal jet is waiting at the airport for us. You will need help while you heal and Tao has been very upset that you aren't there. I'm sure he will be more than pleased to be your nursemaid while you recover."  
Yoh sighed deeply. "I knew it. You are still angry with me, aren't you?"  
Fei turned and cocked his head a bit. "Now why would you say that?" But a bit of mischief shone brightly in his eyes.  
"You know as well as I do that Tao is worse than a mother hen when he's taking care of someone. I'll be coddled like an egg by the time he's done with me."

**~~~~**


End file.
